Riley may be eyeing run for mayor

Is Warren Riley looking to follow in the footsteps of another New Orleans top cop by making a run for mayor next year? Political circles buzzed this week with reports that the police superintendent is exploring the idea.

Through a spokesman, Riley avoided the question, saying only that he "remains committed and focused to do his job as chief of the New Orleans Police Department."

But behind the scenes, some Riley allies appear to be gauging public sentiment on his viability as a candidate, nearly eight years after former Superintendent Richard Pennington lost a mayor's race to political newcomer Ray Nagin.

Bob Harvey, a lawyer with a track record as an effective political fundraiser, said he met over breakfast this week with a Riley emissary who wanted his take on a possible campaign by the chief.

"I didn't get the impression that he (Riley) was close to making any announcement, " said Harvey, who declined to identify the Riley associate. "But based on the conversation, it certainly sounds like he's thinking about it. I'd say he's in the testing-the-water stages."

Asked whether he might back Riley, Harvey said his preference would be businessman John Georges, an unsuccessful gubernatorial candidate in 2007 who reportedly is mulling the mayor's race.

Less than seven months before qualifying, the only announced candidates to succeed the term-limited Nagin are state Sen. Ed Murray and state Rep. Austin Badon.

If Riley enters the field, it will not be his first step into the political ring. In 2004, Riley, then a deputy superintendent, lost a runoff for criminal sheriff to then-City Councilman Marlin Gusman.

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TRADING PLACES: In keeping with tradition, the City Council presidency will change hands next week, passing from Jackie Clarkson back to Arnie Fielkow, who will hold the top spot until new members take office next May.

The largely ceremonial role alternates annually between the two at-large members.

Normally, the transfer occurs at the first meeting each May. But the schedule was thrown off in 2006, when elections were postponed by Hurricane Katrina, forcing the winners to take their oaths in June.

While Fielkow will effectively lose a month in the president's chair as a result, he will have the advantage of leading the council in an election year. Fielkow, nearing the end of his first council term, is reportedly weighing several options, including seeking re-election, running for mayor or retiring from politics.

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THE SPEECH THAT KEEPS ON GIVING: Mayor Ray Nagin delivered his final State of the City address on May 20, but his public relations staff thinks the speech was too good to let people forget about it after one day.

On Thursday the mayor's office began sending out the complete speech again in a five-day series of print and video releases.

Friday brought "State of the City Address 2009: Part II."

In the 19th century, authors such as Charles Dickens would release their novels in serial form, publishing individual chapters in magazines before issuing the complete novel

However, Nagin's approach -- releasing the entire text before the installments -- appears to be a new approach.

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NOT HEADED THAT WAY: It turns out that only the "better" half of New Orleans' newest political power couple is supporting City Councilwoman Stacy Head.

After a check bearing the names of national political strategists Mary Matalin and James Carville arrived for deposit in Head's campaign war chest, her finance committee listed both as sponsors on invitations to the councilwoman's Wednesday night fundraiser.

But Carville, who joined Tulane University's political science faculty this year, said he isn't backing anyone in this or any local race.

As part of his new job, Carville, the Democratic wing of the bipartisan husband-and-wife juggernaut, is helping coordinate polls sponsored by Tulane and Democracy Corps, an organization intended to make government more responsive.

As long as he's taking the pulse of the electorate, Carville said, "I will not be contributing to, supporting or endorsing any candidates in Orleans Parish." His name was on the check because it was drawn on a joint account, he said.

A spokeswoman for Head acknowledged that Carville's name was "mistakenly" listed on the invitation for the fundraiser.

Matalin, a Republican consultant who worked as an assistant to President George W. Bush and a counselor to Vice President Dick Cheney, remains in Head's corner. The councilwoman is a Democrat but was a prominent backer of Republican Anh "Joseph" Cao's successful congressional campaign last year.

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FIRING SQUAD: Sewerage & Water Board members obviously had no idea what was next on their agenda last week when they launched a full-throttle attack against the Army Corps of Engineers.

S&WB members want the corps to build new, permanent pump stations at the mouths of the 17th Street, Orleans Avenue and London Avenue canals to replace the capacity of board pumping stations about a mile inland on the waterways.

Although U.S. Sens. Mary Landrieu and David Vitter have joined the board's chorus, S&WB members at the meeting said they still think corps officials are moving forward with different plans. "It seems publicly that the corps is ignoring us, " Councilman Arnie Fielkow said.

After spending about 20 minutes making their case, board members agreed to move on to other business.

"For the next part of the report, I'd like to introduce three representatives for the Army Corps of Engineers, " Executive Director Marcia St. Martin said, prompting laughter among board members who clearly hadn't known the corps employees were in the audience.

St. Martin quickly added: "These three corps team members are not responsible for the permanent pump stations. I ask you to be gentle with them. They do not represent the permanent pump stations."

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Staff writer Bruce Eggler contributed to this report.Frank Donze can be reached at fdonze@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3328. Michelle Krupa can be reached at mkrupa@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3312.